The U.S. government donates three bomb-detecting robots to the PNP
Six pickup trucks, bomb disposal suit and other post-blast investigation and explosive incident counter-measures kits were also given during a turn over ceremony at Camp Crame
The donated equipment will help boost PNP’s efforts in protecting world leaders who will attend the APEC summit in Metro Manila
Three-wheeled robots that can detect bombs will boost the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) security measures to protect heads of state and other foreign delegates that will come to Metro Manila for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The remote-controlled MK3 Explosive Counter-Measure Kit robots were donated to the PNP by the United States Bureau of Diplomatic Security Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance. Six pickup trucks, bomb disposal suit and other post-blast investigation and explosive incident counter-measures kits were also given to the PNP during the turn over ceremonies at Camp Crame in Quezon City, according to Julianne Love de Jesus‘ article published by Inquirer.net on November 9, 2015.
Thomas McDonough, head of the US Embassy Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance, handed over the kits to PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez during the turn over ceremonies at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
“This equipment that we are able to donate to our friends in the PNP comes at a very timely moment. We all know that we are getting ready for a very large undertaking—this job of Apec. The PNP will be shouldering most of the burden. The PNP will have the day-in and day-out work of the Apec, so we are very glad that the equipment are going to the Apec efforts,” McDonough said in a brief speech.
McDonough told Marquez that the donated kits will make PNP’s job easier, safer and more modern.
Marquez, in turn, thanked the U.S. government for the donations and said the kits will be very helpful in the PNP personnel’s performance of their tasks.
“We thank the US government for donating these very essential, critical equipment. We are going to use it for APEC coverage. In every billet hotel routes and venues, there is always an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Division) K9 there and this equipment will be very helpful in making sure that our people will be able to perform their jobs properly,” he said.
The PNP will use the equipment for the herculean task of protecting several heads of state attending the APEC summit next week, including U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet among others.